Shipping-crate for bottled liquids, &amp; c.



4 Patented Apr. 30, |901.

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SHIPPING CRATE FOR BOTTLED LIIlUIDS, &c.

(Application led Feb. 19, 1901;;

{No Model.)

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UNITED STATES dPATENT OEEICE.

WILLIAM R. WHITE AND JOHN F.r YOUNGBLOOD, OF TROY, ALABAMA.

SHIPPI'NGCRATE FOR BOTTLED LIQUIDS, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent o. 673,346, dated April 30, 1901. Application filed February 19, 1901. Serial No. 47,994. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM R. WHITE and JOHN F. YoUNeBLooD, residing at Troy, in the county of Pike and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shipping-Crates for Bottled Liquids, dto.; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates toa crate for casing, handling, and shipping soda-water, mineral waters, beer, and other bottled goods; and it has for its object the formation of such a crate designed to contain a number of bottles in a revolving rack, the rack being capable of rotation, so as to admit of the easy placing and removal of the bottles from the crate, said rack being provided with a flexible cover designed to fit around the circumference of the same, so as to hold the bottles in place and prevent any damage thereto and at the same time serving to exclude dust and dirt from the bottles and the interior of the drum.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as lnay hereinafter appear the invention consists in the construction and also in the combination of parts hereinafter particularly described and then sought to be clearly defined by the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the crate, and Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the same.

In the drawings the numeral l designates the outer shell or case of the crate, which is made, preferably, cylindrical in form and composed of the two heads 2 and joined t-ogether by a number of slat-s or staves 3, spaced apart and having their ends mortised into the heads 2 and secured thereto by nails 4 or other suitable fastening means, the case or shell being encircled at its ends by hoops or bands 5, which Will protect the ends and give strength to the case or shell.

Within the case or shell 1 is mounted arotatable drum constituting a rack for the bottles. This rotatable drum or rackis composed of two heads 6, formed centrally with an offset 7, each designed to support the ends of slats 8, which are secured to said offset by nails 9 or other suitable means, said slats being formed with openings l0, designed to receive the necks of the bottles. The peripheries of the heads 6 support slats 1l, which may be mortised into the heads and be secured thereto by nails l2 or other suitable means, said slats being spaced apart, as illustrated. These slats are connected together transversely by strands 13, of wire, leather, or other material, said strands preferably being threaded through perforations or openings formed in the slats, so that the strands will pass through the slats from top to hottom, thence across the face of the slats, and then through the other opening from top to bott-om and thence across the space between the slats, and so on from slat to slat, thereby causing the strands to be securely heldin place, although these strands may otherwise pass through or be secured to the slats. A number of these strands are thus attached to the slats, the strands being spaced apart, so that they form spaced sections between the slats, these spaced sections serving to receive the lower or enlarged or body portions of the bottle, the strands preventing or limiting the lateral movement of the bottles, so that one bottle will not come in contact with another. Thesestrandsbeingcomparatively small in diameter and being flexible will prevent the bottles from breaking or being inj ured by jars in transportation of the crate.

For the purpose of holding the bottles in position in the rotatable rack, having the inner and outer set of openings described, a flexible cover 14, of canvas, leather, rubber, or other suitable material,is'provided,one end of said cover being secured to one of the slats 1l, so as to permit the cover to be passed around the circumference of the rack, one end of the cover being provided with a buckle 15, by which the two ends of the cover may be secured together and the cover be thus held in place. It will be observed that this cover bears against the bottoms of the bottles, thus holding the bottles in place and preventing them from having such longitudinal move- IOO ment in the rotation of the rack as might tend to break or injure the bottles in any unlimited movement of the same. This cover also serves to exclude the dirt and dust from the bottles and from the interior of the rack, thus maintaining cleanliness of the bottles. This cover also serves as a means for rotating the rack when one end of the cover is secured to the rack, as in that event when the free end is unbuckled and pulled on it rotates the rack. We do not, however, limit ourselves to having the cover secured to the rack at any point, for it is obvious that it will serve its purpose of holding the bottles in place and excluding the dirt and dust whether fastened to the rack or not. Y'

The rotatable rack is supported Within the outer case or shell by means of a rod 16, which passes through the longitudinal center of the rack and is secured to the heads 2 of the outer case or shell, the rackbeing free to rotate upon said shaft or rod. The heads to the rack may be provided with bushing 17, where the rod or shaft passes through the heads, so as to protect the parts against wear.

The outside shell or case has one of its slats 3 hinged, as shown at 3a in Fig. 2 of the drawings, so that said slat may be thrown open when bottles are to be inserted or taken from the rack. Any suitable fastening vmay be employed for locking this hinged slat during transportation,

The outer case or shell and inner rotatable rack may be made of any desired dimensions and of any material found best forthe purpose. l We have illustrated and described with particularity the preferred details ofconstruction and arrangement of the several parts; but changes can be made therein and the essential feature of our invention still be retained.

Having described our invention and set fortli its merits, what we claim isl. A shipping-crate consisting of an outer shell or case, and an inner rotatable crate, said crate consisting of an inner apertured member and an outer concentric member formed of slats spaced apart and strands eX- tending transversely to the slats to form spaced sections between the slats, substantially as described.

2. A'shipping-crate consisting of an outer shell or case, an inner rotatable rack having separate compartments, and a separate iiexible protecting-cover extended circumferen-d tially around the crate between it and the outer case, said cover serving vto close the several compartments and to be removed from over the compartments in succession as the rackis rotated, substantially as described.

3. A crate for bottled goods consisting of an outer shell or case Whose sides are formed of slats spaced apart, an inner rotatable rack comprising an apertured member adapted to receive the necks of bottles and an outer concentric member formed of slats spaced apart and having transversely-extending strands to form spaced sections between the slats to receive the bodies of the bottles, and a iieXible covering encircling the circumference of the rotatable rack, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM R. WHITE. JOHN F. YOUNGBLOOD. Witnesses:

O. WORTHY, J. D. GAFFORD. 

